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Having read earlier thread on faults with Ace Airstream 630EK I thought others would be interested in faults found on a new 2007 Swift 630L.
Motorhome was collected from Marquis Newbury end of April. Everything seemed fine on the handover, Marquis did point out that the dinette bed could not be used as the panels would not fit to make up the bed, and this would be passed on to Swift for comment.
The motorhome was collected on a Wednesday and we went away in it the following weekend.
1. The first fault was on the way home, after braking when the car in front spun into our lane, the bed slats for the rear lounge beds all came out across the floor and fell out of the runner.
2. When we started to put things into place, cups plates etc, it was noticed that one of the cupholders in the cupboard above the sink was fitted upside down.
3. First time I sat on the rear lounge seat it collapsed inside the base cupboard, the hinged seat slats that raise to access the cupboard underneath did not fit on the top of the front board. The base needed packing on the hinge about 10mm to move it towards the seat base front panel.
Also the hinge on the under seat cupboard was fitted out of line and caught on the panel when it was opened.
4. The opposite lounge seat was almost as bad. Plus the front panel flexes when you sit down.
5. Went outside to turn on the gas, the gas bottles were wobbly as the four plastic locators for the base of the gas bottle to locate on, were on too large a diameter for the bottles.
6. Front dinette bed cannot be used as the boards supplied to make up the bed do not fit.
7. Time for bed, draw the windscreen blind and it will not fit around the rear view mirror. The cutouts in the blind are too low by about 8mm.
8. Noticed the cab ceiling trim had white glue marks showing.
9. Oily marks on door handle.
10. Black mark on front seat trim
11. Trim on front facing dinette seats is out of line, the pattern in material is cut at an angle.
12, table stored in wardrobe slides around knocking on the sides of the wardrobe.
Visited the Newbury show couple of weeks ago and checked out other 630L on display, noticed that the rear seats also did not fit correctly on the front panel of the seat base, on that model also.
Had a weekend away at the Stratford Show last weekend, and noticed a couple of other faults.
13. Knob fell off drivers seat, stress fracture where is slides onto the splines.
14. Rear offside curtain rail has screw at each end and double sided tape holding it up. Double sided tape is coming away, need a few extra screws.
15. Laying back to read the paper, reached up to turn on the light and notice a three inch scratch on silver trim under cupboard, looks like the fitter slipped with the screw driver on the assembly line.
15. Wife opened the wardrobe and noticed hinge screw fitted at angle and was chipping the laminate off. Small mark but should not have happened.
16. Screws in the glass panel to side of cooker has screw misaligned, just a little but noticable.
17. Hole where the rear camera comes from outside into cupboard filled with silicone and sawdust, a small plastic plug would have been neater.
18. On the way home something fell onto the floor. It was one of the speaker grilles that fell out of the ceiling, apparently they are held into place by four blobs of black mastic.
Some faults not so serious but nethertheless show lack of pride in work by the workforce, and should have been picked up on PDI.
Some of the problems have now been fixed. Still waiting to hear from Swift about the dinette bed and the blinds. I just cannot understand how they can fit these blinds on the production line and not check to see they closed properly around the rear view mirror.
Its not hard to use a bradawl to get screws to start in a straight line. A couple of extra screws and not double sided tape would solve the curtain rail problem. And a slip with a screw driver scratching fittings should not be ignored.
When these companies fix a selling price for these it includes a percentage to cover warranty claims, therefore these minor problems should not leave the factory, its down to a lack of proper inspection, its much cheaper to fix problems before leaving the factory, than to have to pay the dealer for the warranty work.
Swift's initial reply was:
"A modern motorhome such as your Sundance is designed and constructed to high standards however, it is hand assembled product and as a result of this method some rework may be required in the early period of ownership. It is for this reason that we have in place a manufacturers warranty policy."
I was always led to believe that hand assembled meant that everything was made to fit. And if it did not fit it would be picked up by the line inspectors, and corrected before being signed off for delivery.
It would be interesting to know just how many new motorhomes are leaving the factory with irritating faults like this.
Hi Lionel sorry to here your new MH has had so many faults.
We picked up our new Swift Bessacarr E435 a few weeks ago and it too has faults but not as many as yours. I have to agree that a lot of it is down to poor workmanship and the lack of any quality control at the manufactures. In addition the dealer should be picking these things up also.
The front panel of our left hand berth is also bowing out which lets the top drop through when you sit on it, in my opinion it is a design fault, there is not enough support from behind, it will be interesting to see what they due to cure it. Mine is due in next Friday to have all the probs sorted.
I hope yours get sorted to your satisfaction and you can start to relax and enjoy it.
I rather think we met outside Marquis Newbury last Sunday - both bringing our new vans back ?
I've been keeping a running total of the Swift faults mentioned on here in the past few weeks and your list has brought the total to well over 100 different ones.
I'm at a loss for words . I'm surprised the dealers continue to deal with Swift. They are the ones who are getting the flack.
Have you been given any date for yours to be returned yet ?
Thanks for your comments, no it was not me last Sunday, I was at the Stratford show.
The 630L model is ideal for us its just the right layout. Every motorhome is a compromise. We bought our first 'van three years ago a 590RS it was a Y reg the layout seemed just right at the time.
This was bought from Westcountry Motorhomes from their newly opened Swindon branch. There were a couple of small fault to be honest it was a pain to have to travel from Oxford to Lower Weare, Nr Axbridge, Somerset, for any warranty work and servicing.
Went to the NEC show January 2006 and happened to cross into the Marquis stand on the way out and stopped to look at the new model. Got talking to one of the salemen and was offered a good deal cost to change to a new model 590RS, was less then we thought. This was delivered through Marquis Newbury not too far from Oxford.
We decided early this year to look for something larger as we like to take out the grandchildren, and again went back to Marquis Newbury. The 630L seemed the obvious choice.
The new engine is a lot better than the 2006 model, it drives a lot better than our 2006 590RS. It's just a shame that a new motorhome cannot come out of the factory without so many faults.
There are a few niggly things that could have been done better, the curtain ties and screwed to the plastic blind trim with a self tapping screws. The velcro on the curtain ties has stitching coming out so the velcro pad is starting to pull off the curtain tie.
The plastic edging on the window cutouts all seem to bulge in places and do not sit flat on the edge, it makes you wonder if the holes are cut out in straight lines or freehand with a jig saw.
There is no strap on the bathroom door, and the hinge looks flimsy every time you open the door you worry about it going back too far and snapping off one of the hinges.
It does seem a quality control issue at the Swift factory, we are booked in next Tuesday to get the problems fixed.
I seriously doubt I will buy Swift next time if we decide to upgrade.
Thanks for your comments, no it was not me last Sunday, I was at the Stratford show.
Hi again Lionel ! In that case it looks like there are 3 of us from the Oxford area who bought from Marquis at Newbury and are having problems. The Swift fault list is now well over 150 items.
We went exactly the same way as you. Our last 2 vans were from WCMH Swindon, entry level Eldiss and very well made. We had one fault with the last one, a leaking tap that happened sometime between leaving Dover and arriving in France for 5 weeks and meant we had to turn the water off after using and mop up thoroughly if we did use it. Not, I think WCMH fault and they did do their best via the phone, while we were away.
Like you though we found the trip to Somerset a nuisance for servicing etc and, when we decided to upgrade to something a little more luxurious, were offered a very good deal by Marquis Newbury.
We haven't got a date yet for return of the van but hope it is not too long away and that everything is done in one go.
We have a Customer Satisfaction form from Marquis that we will fill in when all this is over. So far they seem keen to listen if a little laid back.
Unbelievable, isn't it. They are losing so many potential customers - people like yourselves who won't buy their products again, and the ones who read these reports who won't consider Swift group products because of it.
BTW I'm an Oxford exile; the links are getting fewer now after moving away over 25 years ago, but 2 of our kids are in the county. and Oxford United still get me mad
______________________________________________________________ Still sat here in front of the computer - it may be in the office, or on the laptop if I manage to get away from the office.
As far as I know, the only motorhoming Oxford United supporter in Bognor.
One of those potential customers was me.when I first started looking at motorhomes I always fancied the swift`s with their good looks ect but,soon wised up with all the ``HORROR`` stories on hear and went with a foreign brand in the end.I am just one of many that swift have lost out on.
ps..I really feel for all the people that are having faults with thier brand new motorhomes because if it happened to me I would be absolutely gutted.
______________________________________________________________ Chelsea F.C..... Champions of Europe !!!
Well whatever vehicle you decide to upgrade to when the time comes, please do yourself a favour and DON'T try an Adria - we have purchased the all-time Adria Vision from hell, from the all-time dealer from hell, BCS Motorhomes Herne Bay - the details are all in a different thread, for those who haven't seen it..... Plus, the manufacturer / importer has very little interest and has done almost nothing to date. (Adria's Commercial Director, Mike Lake, replies to one in about 20-30 messages left for him, and not much happens - also Adria's MD promised to contact me, but has never bothered.)
Its amazing that major manufacturers and dealers can behave like this with such expensive vehicles and get away with it. Seems its local and continental vans alike......
Unbelievable, isn't it. They are losing so many potential customers - people like yourselves who won't buy their products again, and the ones who read these reports who won't consider Swift group products because of it.
BTW I'm an Oxford exile; the links are getting fewer now after moving away over 25 years ago, but 2 of our kids are in the county. and Oxford United still get me mad
hi agree its unbelievable isn't it
Is there anything the forum can do other than bring
people attention the poor workmanship off swift products
perhaps a letter from mhf which unhappy customers could sign letting them know that this unaceptable and they are getting bad press which they ignore at there peril
i have a swift 03 plate 630l and general happy with it
but some things could be better
sorry to hear about your problems [some-where- in oxford]
hope you get them resolved
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perhaps a letter from mhf which unhappy customers could sign letting them know that this unaceptable and they are getting bad press which they ignore at there peril 
sorry to hear about your problems [some-where- in oxford]
